Horses from near and far have been nominated for the first Cox Plate in five years without champion Winx. The winner of the past four Cox Plates, champion Winx was retired in April. In her absence, the Moonee Valley Racing club has received 187 nominations for this year’s Cox Plate… Read More »
Victorian racing officials are working with the Australian government to try to get Japanese mare Lys Gracieux to Melbourne to contest the $5 million Cox Plate. Because the mare ran in Hong Kong in April, she is currently ineligible to travel to Australia because of quarantine restrictions between the two… Read More »
Dual Group One winner Avilius has stamped his authority on a barrier trial at Rosehill ahead of his spring return. One of several Godolphin stars to step out on Tuesday, Avilius was ridden by Hong Kong-bound Blake Shinn and overhauled Special Missile easily near the post to win by half… Read More »
Off the back of a freshen-up and an impressive jump-out, consistent sprinter Malibu Style is poised for a bold showing in the Group Three Aurie’s Star Handicap at Flemington. Perth trainer Neville Parnham believes the eight-year-old gelding is spot-on for Saturday’s 1200m straight-track Aurie’s Star Handicap having been given four… Read More »
Less than a week after his latest Group One triumph at Goodwood, Too Darn Hot has been retired after picking up a career-ending injury. Connections of the John Gosden-trained colt announced the news on Monday, revealing last season’s champion European two-year-old had undergone successful surgery at Newmarket Equine Hospital. He… Read More »
Trainer Gary Portelli’s plans to get Silver Slipper winner Time to Reign off to an early season start have been thwarted after the colt developed a temperature. Time To Reign will miss Saturday’s Listed Rosebud at Rosehill but Portelli will give stablemate Not Feint Hearted his chance in stakes class… Read More »
Trainer Phillip Stokes has selected a benchmark race at Flemington to kick off promising gelding Jumbo Ozaki’s campaign. Jumbo Ozaki won a maiden by seven lengths on debut at Pakenham in February before winning his second start at Bendigo. The gelding’s first campaign ended with a luckless third in a… Read More »
The horse who got closest to Winx in any of the champion’s four Cox Plate wins is pleasing his new trainer as he continues his comeback from an injury lay-off. Multiple Group One winner Humidor took another step towards a return in the Group One Memsie Stakes (1400m) on August… Read More »
The Lindsay Park team has opted not to run dual Group One winner Vega Magic in the Aurie’s Star Handicap but the stable will still have two runners in the Group Three sprint at Flemington. The Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) had been earmarked as the return for Vega Magic who… Read More »
Talented filly Brooklyn Hustle has signalled she is on target for her season return with an impressive barrier trial win at Cranbourne. The Jason Warren-trained filly is scheduled to kick off her campaign in Saturday week’s Group Three Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield after striding to a 3-1/2-length win in… Read More »
Multiple Group One winner Gailo Chop has ticked another box in his comeback from injury, pleasing his trainer and jockey in his first of three scheduled barrier trials ahead of his return to racing. Gailo Chop suffered a tendon injury and has not raced since finishing second to Winx in… Read More »
Dual Everest winner Redzel has finished a comfortable second in an 800-metre barrier trial at Gosford. The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained gelding tracked Oakfield Twilight throughout the heat and lengthened stride in the final stages without being over-extended. Oakfield Twilight won the trial by a long neck with Miss Invincible… Read More »
Frankie Dettori has continued his Group One spree, steering Advertise to vicotry in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville. Winner of the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot last month, the colt was last seen filling the runner-up spot behind the Aidan O’Brien-trained Ten Sovereigns in the July Cup at… Read More »
Patrick Payne is fast becoming a master trainer of jumpers. But while he will go into the record books as the winning trainer of Tallyho Twinkletoe in Sunday’s Grand National Hurdle at Sandown, Payne prefers to deflect all the credit to New Zealand conditioner Kevin “Dummy” Myers. This season has… Read More »
Dual Everest winner Redzel will follow the same path towards the rich race as a year ago starting with a barrier trial at Gosford. The gelding will have seven rivals in Monday’s 800m-heat including the Kris Lees-trained In Her Time who is also headed to the $14 million The Everest… Read More »
Amy McDonald could not have wished for a better advertisement of her skills as a jumps trainer than the victory of Master Poet at Sandown. Ridden by Richard Cully and carrying the colours of champion jumper Wells who won the Crisp earlier in the day, Master Poet raced to a… Read More »
Jockey Damian Lane has been glowing in his report on evergreen Godolphin galloper Hartnell following a recent jump-out at Flemington. Lane partnered Hartnell for trainer James Cummings in Friday’s 800m work-out in which his rivals included Malibu Style, Vega Magic and Volkstok’n’barrell. It was the nine-year-old’s second serious hit-out as… Read More »
Queensland stewards have emphasised the new three-hour arrival time for horses in feature races will be strictly enforced despite objections from trainers. The state came into line with other jurisdictions on July 1 with all runners in races worth $100,000 or more having to be on course at least three… Read More »
Lindsay Park has spring aspirations with Peidra after the gelding scored a decisive victory at Sandown to remain unbeaten after two starts. After winning at Sale last month, Peidra added Sunday’s Ladbrokes Odds Boost Handicap (1200m) to his record. Co-trainer Ben Hayes said the stable would now set the three-year-old… Read More »
An upcoming set of barrier trials at Doomben is looming as D-Day for trainer Tony Gollan’s spring plans. The premier Brisbane trainer will trial nearly all his likely Sydney and Melbourne spring aspirants on Tuesday week. Leading the way will be unbeaten four-year-old Zoustyle who is headed to the Concorde… Read More »
